Amos barnes



A. BARNES.

MATG

N0. 582.,254. Patented May 11, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

AMOS BARNES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGN OR TO JAMES GAMBLE AND JOHN M. BREWER, OF SAME PLAOE.

MATCH-SAFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,251, dated May 11, 1897.

Application filed June 1'7, 1896. Serial No. 595,867. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LAMOS BARNES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Match-Safes; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the v invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to match-safes; and it consists in improvements in the delivery mechanism in that class of match-safes intended to deliver a single match witheach operation of the device.

Iam aware that match-safes have been made with a delivery-roll provided with a channel in which to receive and carry the match to the outside, and my invention consists in improvements in this roll and the elements to act in conjunction with it. In this class of devices one of the difficulties encountered is that of straightening the matches in the safe and holding them in position ready to drop into the delivery-channel when it comes into the proper position. If the matches would all lie perfectly straight the difficulty would be much less, but in the ordinary use of the match-safe one, and sometimes two, of the matches will get at an angle and only one end drop into the channel, and when the roll is operated this end of the match catches and stops the operation. My invention provides means for lifting this single end of a match from the channel, so that when the forward movement of the roll starts the same match will drop full length in the channel.

My invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of my match-safe with the front and cover removed to show the roll. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the manner of assembling the box.

In the drawings, A is the base of a matchsafe; B B, the side plates, which are held together and onto the back, top, and front byv the screw 1) and to the bottom by hooks.

C is the roll,mounted in the sides of the box. This roll is provided with the longitudinal channel 0 common to this class of devices, and with the ribs 0, preferably about four in number, extending from the channel down and part wayaround the roll. aaare grooves 5 5 in the bottom to allow the passage of these ribs. The roll is also provided on the upper or back portion with channels 0 extending from the channel 0 part way around the roll. These channels open into the channel 0 at the bottom.

D is the inclined bottom of the match-safe and is provided at the bottom and forward edge with the fingers cl cl, that traverse the channels c The outer end of these fingers I make thin or pointed to adapt them to run under and lift a match or portion of a match that may have entered or partially entered the channel. These points should run out of the channel a and across the channel 0. The ribs 0 rise nearly perpendicularly from the channel 0, having but a slightly-rounded end, and a match that is raised, or that has one end of it raised, from the channel 0 by the fingers a will lie up against the ends of the ribs 0 on top of the fingers 0 As soon asthe roll is moved forward the match will drop squarely into the channel and be carried forward in the mannerintended by the device. The ribs c, in addition to the purpose before described, act upon the matches when the roll is carried back and tend to strengthen them by lifting and moving them one on the other while holding them parallel.

E is the front of the device and is supported between the sides.

c c are openings cut in the front to allow the passage of the ribs 0.

F is the cover of the match-safe, which is put in place by having the lower edge forced between the front E and the lug b on the sides and then sprung down at the back,when the lugs or cars f support the rear end of the top and hold it in place. To take the cover off, it is necessary to lift the rear end; but to 5 make the cover adapted to prevent unauthorized persons from opening the safe I provide the lower edge with the thumb-lift f to make it appear as if the cover would open by lifting at this point. A person intending to open the safe to secure more matches than authorized will endeavor to open the safe from this point and failing to do so will leave it.

What I claim is- 1. In a match-safe, the combination of a frame having an inclined botto1n,a roll mounted in the frame provided with a longitudinal groove, and with one or more annular grooves extending part way around the roll, an opening into said longitudinal groove, said roll being further provided with annular ribs 0, and fingers extending from the lower edge of the inclined bottom adapted to traverse the 

